CN118242924A

CN118242924A - Simple distributor for inlet manifold of microchannel heat exchanger

Info

Publication number: CN118242924A
Application number: CN202311768528.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·乔达尔; L·莫汉塔
Original assignee: Carrier Corp
Current assignee: Carrier Corp
Priority date: 2022-12-23
Filing date: 2023-12-21
Publication date: 2024-06-25
Also published as: US20240210128A1; EP4400795A1

Abstract

A distributor for an inlet manifold of a microchannel heat exchanger is disclosed. The dispenser comprises a nozzle adapted to be fluidly connected to a supply tube of a refrigeration line of the heat exchanger, wherein the supply tube is at least partially disposed within an inlet manifold of the heat exchanger. The nozzle comprises a first hollow portion having a circular cross-section and being adapted to be fluidly connected to the supply tube and a second hollow portion having an oval or elliptical cross-section, wherein the second portion is fluidly connected to the first portion such that the nozzle gradually transitions from the first portion to the second portion and the flow area of the nozzle decreases in a direction from the first portion to the second portion.

Description

Simple distributor for inlet manifold of microchannel heat exchanger

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/477,114, filed on day 2022, 12, 23, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of heat exchangers, and more particularly to a simple and improved distributor for an inlet manifold of a heat exchanger.

Background

The distribution of fluid among the plurality of microchannel tubes of the heat exchanger plays an important role in the overall performance of the heat exchanger and in the efficient use of the heat transfer surface. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a simple and effective distributor for the inlet manifold of a heat exchanger.

Disclosure of Invention

A distributor for an inlet manifold of a microchannel heat exchanger is described herein. The dispenser comprises a nozzle adapted to be fluidly connected to a supply tube of a refrigeration line of the heat exchanger, wherein the supply tube is at least partially disposed within an inlet manifold of the heat exchanger. The nozzle having a flow area comprises a first hollow portion having a circular cross-section and being adapted to be fluidly connected to a supply pipe, and a second hollow portion having an oval or elliptical cross-section, wherein the second portion is fluidly connected to the first portion such that the nozzle gradually transitions from the first portion to the second portion and the flow area of the nozzle decreases in a direction from the first portion to the second portion.

In one or more embodiments, the first end of the nozzle includes a first opening connected to the supply tube and the second end of the nozzle includes a second opening opposite the first opening.

In one or more embodiments, the second opening has one or more of a racetrack profile, a rectangular profile, a circular profile, and an oval profile.

In one or more embodiments, the nozzle is disposed within the inlet manifold such that the second end or second opening of the nozzle is at least partially retained in front of one or more microchannel tubes associated with the inlet manifold.

In one or more embodiments, the nozzles are located at a predefined height above ports associated with one or more microchannel tubes associated with the inlet manifold.

In one or more embodiments, the first portion of the nozzle has a predefined inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the supply tube, and wherein the second portion has a predefined height that is less than the inner diameter of the first portion and a predefined width that is greater than the inner diameter of the first portion.

In one or more embodiments, the second portion has a predefined aspect ratio ranging from 40 to 1/40.

In one or more embodiments, the second portion is oriented at a predefined angle relative to a horizontal plane of the inlet manifold.

In one or more embodiments, the second portion is oriented horizontally within the inlet manifold.

In one or more embodiments, the flow area of the nozzle from the first portion to the second portion is reduced in the range of 20-70%.

Also described herein is a heat exchanger including an inlet manifold fluidly connected to an outlet manifold via a plurality of microchannel tubes, a supply tube associated with a refrigeration line disposed at least partially within the inlet manifold, and a nozzle fluidly connected to the supply tube within the inlet manifold. The nozzle having a flow area comprises a first hollow portion having a circular cross-section and being adapted to be fluidly connected to a supply pipe, and a second hollow portion having an oval or elliptical cross-section, wherein the second portion is fluidly connected to the first portion such that the nozzle gradually transitions from the first portion to the second portion and the flow area of the nozzle decreases in a direction from the first portion to the second portion.

In one or more embodiments, the nozzle is disposed within the inlet manifold such that the second opening of the nozzle is at least partially retained in front of the microchannel tubes within the inlet manifold.

In one or more embodiments, the nozzles are located at a predefined height above the ports associated with the microchannel tubes within the inlet manifold.

In one or more embodiments, a supply tube is disposed at one end of the inlet manifold, and wherein the supply tube is configured to supply fluid from a refrigeration line within the inlet manifold via the nozzle to enable the fluid to be evenly distributed across the ports of each of the multichannel tubes within the inlet manifold.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, other aspects, embodiments, features, and techniques of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the subject disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the subject disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the subject disclosure.

In the drawings, similar components and/or features may have the same reference numerals. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

Fig. 1A-1D illustrate exemplary views of a nozzle/dispenser for an inlet manifold of a heat exchanger in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1E and 1F illustrate exemplary views of a nozzle/dispenser fitted at the outlet of a supply tube of a heat exchanger in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an isometric view of a heat exchanger with a downward fluid flow configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged interior view of FIG. 2 depicting nozzles disposed within an inlet manifold of the heat exchanger of FIG. 2 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. Examples this detailed is to clearly convey the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Various terms are used herein. If a term used in a claim is not defined below, the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing should be given.

In the description, reference may be made to the spatial relationship between various components and the spatial orientation of various aspects of the components, such as the apparatus depicted in the figures. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the subject disclosure, the inventive components described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Accordingly, use of terms such as "above," "below," "upper," "lower," "first," "second," or other like terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe a spatial orientation of aspects of such components should be understood to describe a relative relationship between components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as the nozzles, multichannel tubes, manifolds, heat exchangers, and corresponding components described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.

A microchannel heat exchanger ("heat exchanger") typically includes a plurality of microchannel tubes having a plurality of inlet ports, the microchannel tubes being connected and extending from an inlet manifold to an outlet manifold of the heat exchanger. The distribution of fluid among the plurality of microchannel tubes plays an important role in the overall performance of the heat exchanger and in the efficient use of the heat transfer surface. The same applies to other types of heat exchangers, such as brazed plate heat exchangers, round tube plate fin heat exchangers, and the like. The distributor and heat exchanger described herein provide a simple and effective distributor for the inlet manifold of a heat exchanger that enables fluid or refrigerant to be distributed evenly across the ports of the tubes within the inlet manifold of the heat exchanger with minimal pressure drop.

Referring to fig. 1A-1F, a distributor 100 for an inlet manifold of a microchannel heat exchanger "is disclosed. The distributor 100 is designed as a nozzle 100 adapted to be fluidly connected to a supply tube 110 of a refrigeration line of a heat exchanger, wherein the supply tube 110 is arranged within the inlet manifold by one of the ends of the inlet manifold. In some embodiments, the nozzle 100 may be removably fitted to the outlet of the supply tube 110 within the inlet manifold, however, the nozzle 100 may also be an integral part of the supply tube 110.

As shown in fig. 1-2, the nozzle 100 includes a first hollow portion 102 having a circular cross-section that is adapted to be fluidly connected to a supply tube 110. The nozzle 100 further comprises a second hollow portion 104 having an oval or elliptical cross-section, which is fluidly connected to the first portion 102 such that the nozzle 100 gradually transitions from the first portion 102 to the second portion 104 and the flow area of the nozzle decreases in the direction from the first portion 102 to the second portion 104. The first portion 102 of the nozzle 100 has a predefined inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the supply tube 110. The second portion 104 has a predefined height that is less than the inner diameter of the first portion 102 and a predefined width that is greater than the inner diameter of the first portion 102, thereby forming an oval or elliptical cross-section. In an embodiment, the second portion 104 has a predefined aspect ratio ranging from 40 to 1/40 such that the flow area of the nozzle from the first portion 102 to the second portion 104 is reduced in the range of 20-70%. For example, an aspect ratio of "40" corresponds to a flat second portion 104 forming a wide nozzle in a horizontal orientation. Furthermore, the aspect ratio of "1" corresponds to a circular nozzle. Furthermore, the aspect ratio of "1/40" corresponds to a flat nozzle in the vertical orientation. Furthermore, the main axis of the oval opening may be aligned with any other orientation between the horizontal axis and the vertical axis.

Further, the second portion 104 of the nozzle 100 is oriented at a predefined angle relative to the horizontal plane of the inlet manifold. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the second portion (flat portion) 104 of the nozzle 100 may be oriented horizontally within the inlet manifold 202, however, the second portion (flat portion) 104 of the nozzle may also be oriented vertically or at other angles within the inlet manifold 202 based on the design and orientation of the inlet manifold 202, and all such embodiments are well within the scope of the present invention.

The first end of the nozzle (first portion 102) includes a first opening 106 connected to a supply tube 110, and the second end of the nozzle (second portion 104) includes a second opening 108 opposite the first opening 106. The first opening 106 has a circular profile with a predefined inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the supply tube 110. Further, the second opening 108 has one or more of a racetrack profile (e.g., elliptical), a rectangular profile, a circular profile, and an oval profile, but is not limited thereto. In one or more embodiments, the nozzle 100 is assembled with the supply tube 110 and disposed within the inlet manifold 202 such that the second end or second opening 108 of the nozzle 100 is maintained before or in line with a first tube of the plurality of tubes 206 and the nozzle 100 is maintained at a predefined height above the first end (top end) of the tubes 206 of the heat exchanger 200, as shown in fig. 3. For example, if the first tube is considered to be the origin along the longitudinal axis of the manifold 202, the second opening 108 of the nozzle 100 may remain at the origin or zero millimeters from the first tube. Furthermore, the second opening 108 of the nozzle 100 may also be located at a desired distance in front of the first tube, i.e. at a negative position from the first tube (origin) along the longitudinal axis of the manifold 202.

In some embodiments, the nozzle 100 is assembled with the supply tube 110 and disposed within the inlet manifold 202 such that the second end or second opening 108 of the nozzle 100 may be located anywhere between the two ends of the manifold 202 and at a predefined height above the top ends of the tubes 206 of the heat exchanger 200. In this case, the second opening 108 of the nozzle 100 may also be located after the first tube, i.e. at a positive position from the first tube or origin along the longitudinal axis of the manifold 202.

In one or more embodiments, the length of the nozzle 100 may be 0.3 to 2 times the diameter of the inlet manifold 202. As the flow area of the nozzle 100 decreases in the direction from the first portion 102 to the second portion 104 of the nozzle 100, the velocity of the fluid (refrigerant) increases as it flows through the nozzle 100, which helps to break up the fluid into droplets earlier, resulting in a uniform two-phase flow. Further, the flat profile and horizontal orientation of the second portion 104 of the nozzle 100 creates a wider fluid jet within the inlet manifold 202 that covers nearly the entire diameter of the inlet manifold 202, thereby enhancing port-to-port distribution in the tube 206 with minimal pressure drop.

In an embodiment, as shown in fig. 1E and 1F, the supply tube 110 may have an L-shaped profile with a first section extending upwardly within the inlet manifold from the bottom of the inlet manifold and a second section extending perpendicular to the first section, with a curved section between the first section and the second section such that the second section of the supply tube 110 remains parallel to the longitudinal axis of the inlet manifold 202. However, in other embodiments (not shown), the supply tube 110 may be disposed directly within the inlet manifold 202 through a flat base at one of the ends of the inlet manifold 202 such that the supply tube remains parallel to the longitudinal axis of the inlet manifold 202. Furthermore, the nozzle 100 is fitted at the outlet of the second section of the supply pipe 110 such that the steam injected by the nozzle 100 within the inlet manifold 202 covers almost the entire diameter and length of the inlet manifold 202.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, an exemplary embodiment of a heat exchanger 200 of the present invention having a downward fluid flow configuration is shown. The heat exchanger 200 includes an inlet manifold 202 (also referred to as an inlet header) and an outlet manifold 204 (also referred to as an outlet header), which may preferably be horizontally configured on a support structure 212 at the same elevation, however, in other embodiments, the inlet manifold 202 may also be positioned at an elevated elevation above the outlet manifold 204. Further, the heat exchanger 200 includes a plurality of multichannel tubes 206 (tubes 206) in fluid communication with the inlet manifold 202 and the outlet manifold 204. The tubes 206 are equally spaced apart and extend in parallel, with one end (first end) of the tubes 206 being disposed within the inlet manifold 202 and the other end extending out of the inlet manifold 202 at a predefined angle, and further connected to the outlet manifold 204 and disposed within the outlet manifold 204, however, the tubes 206 may also extend vertically downward from the inlet manifold 202 to enable fluid flow in a vertically downward direction. Furthermore, in other embodiments (not shown in fig. 2), the tubes 206 may also extend vertically upward from the inlet manifold 202 or at an angle to the vertical axis to enable fluid flow in a vertically upward direction.

The tube 206 comprises a hollow member that may preferably have a flat profile with relatively flat walls, however, the tube 206 may have other profiles without any limitation, and all such embodiments are well within the scope of the present invention. Further, the tube 206 includes a plurality of channels configured within the tube along the axis of the tube and extending in parallel between the first end (top end) and the second end (bottom end) of the hollow member such that a plurality of fluid flow paths of a predefined radius (e.g., typically in the millimeter range) are created between the first end and the second end of the tube that allow a fluid, such as a refrigerant, to flow from an inlet port of the channel at the first end of the tube 206 to an outlet port of the channel at the second end of the tube 206.

The tube 206 is preferably made of a lightweight, thermally conductive, and chemically resistant material, however, the tube 206 may be made of other materials within the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments, the tube 206 may be made from an aluminum extrusion. For ease and clarity of illustration, the tube 206 is shown in its figures as having a fixed number of channels defining a flow path having a square cross-section. However, it should be understood that in commercial applications (e.g., refrigerant vapor compression systems), each multichannel tube 206 may typically have about ten to twenty flow channels, but may have more or fewer of a wide variety of channels as desired.

The first ends of the tubes 206 are adapted to be disposed within the inlet manifold 202 of the heat exchanger 200 using brazing techniques, 3D printing techniques, and other known techniques known in the art such that the tubes 206 remain inclined at a predefined angle from the horizontal planar axis of the manifold 202, with certain sections of the tubes proximate the first ends of the tubes disposed within the inlet manifold 202 and the remaining sections of the tubes 100 protruding outwardly from the inlet manifold 202 in a downward direction. Furthermore, the tubes 206 are disposed within the manifold such that the flat or opposing walls of the tubes are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the inlet manifold 202 in the direction of fluid exiting the nozzles within the manifold 202.

The manifolds 202,204 are preferably constructed of cylindrical aluminum tubes/shells with an aluminum brazing coating on their outer surfaces, however, the manifolds may also have square, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal or other polygonal cross-sections. On their facing sides, the manifolds 202,204 are provided with a series of generally parallel slits or openings for receiving the respective first ends of the tubes 206 such that the first ends or sections of the tubes 206 remain within the manifolds 202, 204. The tube 206 is preferably formed from an aluminum extrusion. The manifolds 202,204 are preferably welded or brazed to the tube 206. Slits are punched in the sides of the manifolds 202, 204. In addition, each of the manifolds 202,204 is provided with a substantially spherical dome to improve the pressure resistance of the manifold. The manifold has opposite ends closed by caps brazed or welded thereto. In a preferred embodiment, the various components are brazed together, and thus, in the usual case, brazing is used to secure the covers to the opposite ends of the manifold.

In an embodiment, a slit based on the diameter of the supply tube 110 is punched at one end of the inlet manifold 202, and the supply tube 110 is inserted into the inlet manifold 202, followed by brazing the supply tube 110 to the inlet manifold 202. The nozzle 100 is fitted at the outlet of the supply tube 110 within the inlet manifold 202 and the end of the inlet manifold 202 is closed by a cap using brazing or welding techniques to provide a leak-proof design. The supply tube 110 assembled with the nozzle 100 is disposed within the inlet manifold 202 such that the second end or second opening 108 of the nozzle 100 is at least partially retained in front of the tube 206 and the nozzle 100 is retained at a predefined height above the first end (top end) of the tube 206. In another embodiment, the supply tube 110 may also be attached or disposed within the inlet manifold 202 using 3D printing techniques and other known techniques known in the art.

In addition, heat exchanger 200 includes brazed aluminum-clad fins 214 extending in parallel between adjacent tubes 206. Fins 214 facilitate heat exchange between the fluid flowing through tubes 206 and the air flowing across tubes 206 of heat exchanger 200. In addition, fins 214 also provide structural support and rigidity to tube 206 and heat exchanger 200.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 2, the heat exchanger 200 is a V-coil arrangement heat exchanger 200 having an inlet manifold 202 and an outlet manifold 204 oriented horizontally in the same plane above a support structure 212. Further, the tubes 206 protrude from the inlet manifold 202, are at an acute angle to the plane of the inlet manifold 202 in a downward direction, and further extend into the outlet manifold 204 at the same acute angle in an upward direction, forming a V-shaped coil arrangement of the tubes 206 with bends at the bottom midpoint of the tubes 206. The bend at the bottom of the tube 206 results in an apex at approximately the midpoint of the V-tube 206. The apex is located below a plane defined by the manifold. Further, the condensate trough 208 is attached by fasteners along the apices or bends of the tubes 206, extending along an axis parallel to the longitudinal axes of the manifolds 202, 204. The trough 208 is configured to collect condensate formed in the tubes 206 and the V-coil arrangement facilitates easier flow of condensate to the bottom trough 208. The tank 208 may also be provided with one or more condensate outlet fittings 216 to remove collected condensate.

During operation, the heat exchanger 200 receives a cold two-phase mixture from the expansion device through the refrigerant line, via the supply tube 110 and the distributor/nozzle 100, into the inlet manifold 202 of the heat exchanger 200. As the flow area of the nozzle 100 decreases in the direction from the first portion 102 to the second portion 104 of the nozzle 100, the velocity of the mixture increases as it flows through the nozzle 100, which helps break up the one or more liquid jets into droplets earlier, resulting in a uniform two-phase flow and good distribution. Furthermore, the flat profile of the second portion 104 of the nozzle 100 creates a wider steam jet within the inlet manifold 202 that covers nearly the entire diameter of the inlet manifold 202, enhancing port-to-port distribution in the tube 206. This increases the heat capacity of the heat exchanger 200 compared to existing heat exchangers.

Further, the cold two-phase mixture within the inlet manifold 202 passes through the tubes 206 of the heat exchanger 200, wherein the two-phase mixture is heated as it passes in heat exchange relationship with ambient air that is passed by a fan (not shown) that may be configured above the heat exchanger 200. Superheated steam is collected in the outlet manifold 204 of the heat exchanger 200 and enters the compressor and the cycle is completed. In addition, the condensate from the condenser comes to and is expanded in an expansion device into a low-pressure two-phase mixture.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that while FIG. 2 and some embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail for a V-coil arrangement heat exchanger for simplicity and better explanation purposes, the teachings of the present invention are equally applicable to other heat exchangers having a downward fluid flow configuration, such as N-coil heat exchangers, J-coil heat exchangers, U-coil heat exchangers, and the like, and all such embodiments are within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention (nozzle or distributor) thus overcomes the disadvantages, limitations and shortcomings associated with the prior art by providing a simple and effective nozzle that is capable of uniformly distributing fluid or refrigerant across the ports of the tubes within the inlet manifold of a heat exchanger with minimal pressure drop.

While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims below. Modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In interpreting the specification, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. When the specification claims refer to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C … and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element of the group, not a plus N or B plus N, etc.

Claims

1. A distributor for an inlet manifold of a microchannel heat exchanger, the distributor comprising:

a nozzle adapted to be fluidly connected to a supply tube of a refrigeration line of the heat exchanger, wherein the supply tube is at least partially disposed within an inlet manifold of the heat exchanger,

The nozzle includes:

A first hollow portion having a circular cross-section and adapted to be fluidly connected to the supply tube; and

A second hollow portion having an oval or elliptical cross-section, wherein the second portion is fluidly connected to the first portion such that the nozzle gradually transitions from the first portion to the second portion and the flow area of the nozzle decreases in a direction from the first portion to the second portion.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first end of the nozzle comprises a first opening connected to the supply tube and the second end of the nozzle comprises a second opening opposite the first opening.

3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the second opening has one or more of a racetrack profile, a rectangular profile, a circular profile, and an oval profile.

4. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the nozzle is disposed within the inlet manifold such that the second end or second opening of the nozzle is at least partially retained in front of one or more microchannel tubes associated with the inlet manifold.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is located at a predefined height above a port associated with one or more microchannel tubes associated with the inlet manifold.

6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the nozzle has a predefined inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the supply tube, and wherein the second portion has a predefined height that is less than the inner diameter of the first portion and a predefined width that is greater than the inner diameter of the first portion.

7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the second portion has a predefined aspect ratio ranging from 40 to 1/40.

8. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the second portion is oriented at a predefined angle relative to a horizontal plane of the inlet manifold.

9. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the second portion is horizontally oriented within the inlet manifold.

10. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the flow area of the nozzle from the first portion to the second portion is reduced in the range of 20-70%.

11. A heat exchanger, comprising:

an inlet manifold fluidly connected to the outlet manifold via a plurality of microchannel tubes;

a supply tube associated with a refrigeration line disposed at least partially within the inlet manifold; and

A nozzle fluidly connected to the supply tube within the inlet manifold, the nozzle comprising:

A second hollow portion having an oval or elliptical cross-section,

Wherein the second portion is fluidly connected to the first portion such that the nozzle gradually transitions from the first portion to the second portion and the flow area of the nozzle decreases in a direction from the first portion to the second portion.

12. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the first end of the nozzle comprises a first opening connected to the supply tube and the second end of the nozzle comprises a second opening opposite the first opening.

13. The heat exchanger of claim 12, wherein the second opening has one or more of a racetrack profile, a rectangular profile, a circular profile, and an oval profile.

14. The heat exchanger of claim 12, wherein the nozzle is disposed within the inlet manifold such that the second opening of the nozzle is at least partially retained in front of the microchannel tubes within the inlet manifold.

15. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the nozzle is located at a predefined height above a port associated with the microchannel tube within the inlet manifold.

16. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the nozzle has a predefined inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the supply tube, and wherein the second portion has a predefined height that is less than the inner diameter of the first portion and a predefined width that is greater than the inner diameter of the first portion.

17. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the second portion has a predefined aspect ratio ranging from 40 to 1/40.

18. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the second portion is oriented at a predefined angle relative to a horizontal plane of the inlet manifold.

19. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the flow area of the nozzle from the first portion to the second portion is reduced in the range of 20-70%.

20. The heat exchanger of claim 11, wherein the supply tube is disposed at one end of the inlet manifold, and wherein the supply tube is configured to supply fluid from the refrigeration line within the inlet manifold via the nozzle to enable the fluid to be evenly distributed across the ports of each of the multichannel tubes within the inlet manifold.